Terrell Owens will return to Candlestick on Sunday

Sure enough, the 49ers, who were in need of wide receiver help in the first half of the season, are bringing back Terrell Owens … as an honorary captain for Sunday’s game against the visiting Panthers.

Owens, 39, will return to Candlestick Park to celebrate one of the top moments at the soon-to-be-demolished stadium: His 25-yard catch touchdown catch in a wild-card playoff win over the Packers on Jan. 3, 1999, commonly known as The Catch II.

A third-round pick of the 49ers in 1996, Owens last played for the team in 2003. His messy exit included shots at quarterback Jeff Garcia and a scuttled trade to the Ravens, which preceded his signing with the Eagles. Owens never played at Candlestick during the final seven seasons of his career, which included stops with the Eagles (2004-05), Cowboys (2006-08), Bills (2009) and Bengals (2010).

Owens had a brief training-camp stint with the Seahawks last year, but he last played in an NFL regular-season game in 2010 when he had 72 catches, 983 yards and nine touchdowns with Cincinnati.

Owens ranks second to Jerry Rice in franchise history in every major statistical receiving category: receptions (592), yards (8,572), touchdowns (81) and 100-yard games (25).